


Moonlight Dahlia

by Triangulum



Series: Dahlia Emmeline Hale [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Emissary Stiles Stilinski, Fluff, M/M, dad peter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-15 11:21:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12320052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Triangulum/pseuds/Triangulum
Summary: There, at the base of the trunk, nestled between two large roots, is a car seat and in it, a baby. Stiles and Peter both freeze, staring down in shock. The baby is asleep, bundled up tightly, a soft orange wool hat on its head and an envelope pinned to its blanket. Stiles stares at Peter incredulously, but he doesn't know what to say either.OrSo it turns out Peter has a daughter.





	Moonlight Dahlia

**Author's Note:**

> Malia doesn't exist in this. Sorry.

It's the middle of the night and the last place Peter wants to be is in the preserve. He'd just opened a bottle of wine, his chicken parmigiana was almost done, and he got a call from Scott. Something had tripped the wards on the eastern edge of the preserve, and Stiles was on his way to pick up Peter so they could check it out. Peter's barely hanging on to the outskirts of the pack by a thread of usefulness, so he'd grudgingly agreed.

"Do you know what tripped the wards?" Peter asks.

"No," Stiles says, hopping over a log. "It's supernatural, otherwise they wouldn't have been picked up, but that's all I can tell."

"So Scott sent just the two of us into the preserve, in the dark, to search for an unknown supernatural creature," Peter says flatly. "Excellent."

"Whatever it is, it doesn't feel malicious," Stiles says. "So there's not really a reason to bring out the cavalry. Besides, we're the scary ones anyway."

Well, he isn't wrong about that. 

They make their way through the preserve, Peter occasionally grabbing Stiles' elbow to keep him from tripping, but the moon is full and bright in the sky, illuminating the ground more than normal, and since coming into his magic, Stiles has become better at being aware of his surroundings, helping his clumsiness fade. He's now the McCall Pack emissary, strong and terrifying in his own right.

The eastern wards are miles into the woods, far from Beacon Hills, and even though they'd driven most of the way, it's still a good forty-five minute walk in the woods until they get to the ward Stiles had carved into a tree, murmuring soft words and healing it with a touch, some months before. Peter's ears are straining, trying to pick up any movement or sound, but he hears nothing for a long time.

"Wait," Peter says, taking Stiles by the elbow. Stiles immediately stops, looking at him intently.

"What?"

"I hear...something," Peter says. He closes his eyes, trusting Stiles to watch his back, and focuses on the sound. It's soft, but Peter's pretty sure it's a heartbeat. It's young, faster than a grown adult's. He opens his eyes and motions Stiles forward. They walk on quiet feet through the trees until Peter can hear the heartbeat louder. It's straight ahead, right under the tree with the ward carved in it, like it knows exactly where it is. 

They approach cautiously, but Peter can't scent or hear anyone or anything else nearby. He goes first, rounding the tree. There, at the base of the trunk, nestled between two large roots, is a car seat and in it, a baby. Stiles and Peter both freeze, staring down in shock. The baby is asleep, bundled up tightly, a soft orange wool hat on its head and an envelope pinned to its blanket. Stiles stares at Peter incredulously, but he doesn't know what to say either. 

Stiles kneels down in front of the car seat and gently unpins the envelope, careful not to wake the baby. He opens it and frowns, looking up at Peter. He hands Peter the note wordlessly. 

_Peter,_

_I did not sign up for this. A baby I can handle, a werewolf baby is too much. I don't know how to deal with this, or with hunters breaking down my door threatening me over my sleeping kid. She's your responsibility now. Her name is Dahlia and she's yours._

_Stacy_

Peter's frozen. Stacy, the woman he'd had a week-long tryst with when the pack had gone up to San Francisco for a symposium with west coast packs. She'd been in the know, but wasn't affiliated with any pack. She was a tall, leggy brunette with a cutting smile. Stiles had hated her on sight. She and Peter had fucked for five days before parting ways without even getting each other's phone number.

The baby, Dahlia, stirs, little eyes opening. She starts to whimper and Stiles unbuckles her from the car seat, picking her up right when she starts to cry.

"It's okay, sweetie, it's okay," Stiles murmurs. He holds her like he knows how, cradling her head and rocking her gently from side to side. "I know it's scary but it's okay, you're safe."

Peter's still frozen in shock. He has a daughter. Stacy had dumped their daughter in the middle of the woods with nothing but a car seat and a blanket. Granted, it was right under the wards where she knew she'd be found, but that's still not acceptable. Not at all. 

Dahlia is calming slightly, but she's still fussy, little whimpers coming from the back of her throat. Peter's pretty sure it's the full moon's pull. She's probably never had werewolf contact and doesn't know what to do with these instincts.

"Here," Peter says softly, reaching out. 

Stiles transfers little Dahlia to his arms. She's so small and light and Peter's immediately worried that she isn't eating enough. Werewolf children need more calories than humans. Did Stacy know? Was she accommodating to that? Peter doesn't know. As soon as he touches her, Peter feels it, like a bond snapping into place. He has no doubt that she's his. He feels it in the very marrow of his bones that this is his daughter. 

Peter flashes his eyes down at the baby and hers glow gold in response. Her whimpers instantly stop and she nuzzles into his touch, babbling excitedly. Peter feels a smile take over his face and he can't help it. He doesn't want to. When he glances at Stiles, he's grinning.

"You look good like this," Stiles says softly. He blushes like he hadn't meant to say that, and quickly says, "We uh, we should probably get her out of the woods and inside."

Peter nods. "Can you take the car seat?" Peter asks. He doesn't say that he doesn't want to put Dahlia down, but Stiles seems to know. 

The trek back to the car takes almost twice as long, Peter walking exceptionally carefully, not wanting to risk dropping Dahlia. Stiles smirks, but shockingly doesn't tease him about it, just walks at his side. 

Peter buckles Dahlia and her car seat into the back of Stiles' jeep and slides in next to her, not wanting to let her out of his sight, even if it's just him in the front seat.

"Where to?" Stiles asks. "Melissa isn't working tonight if you want her to look Dahlia over. I assume you don't want to take her to Deaton."

Peter growls at the mention of Deaton. "You assume correctly," Peter says. "Melissa is fine. Is Scott home?"

"No, I think he's out with Kira," Stiles says.

"Good. I want to keep this between us for now," Peter says.

"Why?" Stiles asks.

"We don't know if the hunters Stacy mentioned are still chasing her. We don't know anything about her and I don't want word getting out until we know more," Peter says.

Stiles nods. "Okay, your baby, your rules," Stiles says.

It jolts something through Peter hearing Stiles say that. His baby. _His._ He's had her for less than two hours and he already loves her, would rip the entire world apart for her. It's a terrifying feeling, one he hasn't had since Talia had first had children, and this is so much stronger because she's his. _His._

Stiles drives carefully to Melissa's house. He never is really a wild driver, but Peter sees him looking at least four times at intersections to make sure no one is coming. It warms something in Peter. 

The McCall living room lights are on and Scott's bike isn't in the driveway, which makes Peter relax a bit. He doesn't know how Scott would react to the baby, and he's not willing to risk it.

Peter gathers Dahlia to his chest and follows Stiles up the McCall driveway. It takes Melissa a few minutes to open the door and when she does, she's a bit flushed, her hair in disarray. Chris Argent appears behind her, looking equally mussed. Peter tamps down a growl at an Argent being near his child, tightening his grip on Dahlia.

"Stiles? Now isn't really a good time," Melissa says.

"Yeah, apparently," Stiles says and wolf whistles. "Good job Melissa. Damn."

"Stiles," Melissa says, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

"Right, sorry. Uh, can we come in? We have a situation," Stiles says. 

Melissa looks behind him to Peter, eyes widening as she realizes it's a baby he's holding. She steps aside immediately, ushering them inside. Chris steps back, giving them plenty of room, which Peter is appreciative of. Melissa leads them to the kitchen so they all can sit at the table.

"What's going on?" Melissa asks.

"We went to check out something tripping the wards in the preserve and we found her," Stiles says, leaving it to Peter to decide if he wants to disclose that Dahlia is his.

"She's a werewolf," Peter says. "We need to make sure she's okay. She feels too light."

"Can I take a look?" Melissa asks, reaching out. It takes Peter a second, but he nods and hands Dahlia over. Melissa is a medical professional. Do no harm and all. He knows she isn't going to hurt a baby. "Was there anything else with her? Diaper bag, identification, anything?"

Stiles glances at Peter and then at Chris. Melissa notices, eyes narrowing.

"She was in a car seat," Peter says. 

Melissa hums. "Chris, would you run to the store for me? We need a few things until we can get her settled tomorrow. Diapers, wipes, formula...actually, I'll make you list."

Peter takes Dahlia back while Melissa makes a list of basic necessities to get her through the night. Chris kisses her on his way out, making a blush rise on her cheeks. Stiles grins at her wiggling his eyebrows. Melissa rolls her eyes and takes Dahlia back from Peter.

"Okay, what else was with her?" Melissa asks.

Peter shares a look with Stiles, who nods. Melissa is trustworthy, at least with this. 

"There was a note," Peter says. "Her name is Dahlia. She's a werewolf."

"Is she yours?" Melissa asks gently. Peter swallows and nods. Melissa smiles and says, "Congratulations."

It's...not what he expected to hear, but he's grateful nonetheless. He watches as Melissa examines her, humming once in a while and asking questions about werewolf physiology. 

"Unless werewolf children grow faster than humans, I'd say she's probably about five, maybe six months old," Melissa says. 

"They tend to develop faster, but not by much," Peter says. 

Melissa nods. "She is a bit underweight, I'm afraid, but not dangerously so," Melissa says. "Alan Deaton would know more about werewolf babies than me."

Stiles snorts. "Right, like we'd trust Deaton more than you."

Melissa looks a bit surprised at that, but pleased. 

"What are you going to do now?" Melissa asks.

"Probably see if my dad can find anything on the mom, try to track down a birth certificate or something," Stiles says, then glances at Peter. "Er, if you want me to?"

"I'd appreciate it," Peter says. "I want to know everything I can. I should at least know her birthday for god's sake."

Melissa winces in sympathy and hands Dahlia back to Peter. "She's a beautiful girl, Peter. And as far as I can tell, healthy," Melissa says.

"Good," Peter says, cradling Dahlia to his chest. She snuffles a bit, nuzzling at him in a very wolf gesture. 

Chris returns soon, Target bags bulging with a lot more than Melissa had requested. Stiles raises an amused eyebrow, which makes Chris huff and roll his eyes.

"I have a favor to ask," Peter says slowly. Chris looks at him with eyebrows raised. "And it requires discretion."

"What is it?" Chris asks.

"I need you to find out if any hunters in San Francisco are after a baby," Peter says. Chris' eyes drop to Dahlia, then back to Peter. "There was a note that said hunters broke into the mother's house and interrogated her about Dahlia."

Chris' eyes are hard and he smells of rage. "I'll find out what I can," he says. He looks down at Dahlia, eyes softening. Peter doesn't have to be a genius to know he's thinking about Allison. "Is she your daughter?"

Stiles holds his breath, Melissa looking down. Peter holds Chris' gaze steadily, weighing his options. Chris doesn't kill innocent children, Peter knows this, but he can't shake the association of danger with Argents and his family. His silence is probably answer enough though, so Peter slowly nods.

"She is," he says. The threat in his voice is clear. "And that is information that doesn't leave this room."

Chris nods seriously. "You have nothing to fear from me, Peter. I'll find out what I can. What's the mother's name?" he asks.

"Stacy Short," Peter says. "She lives in San Francisco."

"I'll make some calls. Discretely," Chris says.

Peter nods. Dahlia starts fussing at his chest, whimpering. Then the smell hits him. 

"She needs to be changed," Peter says.

"Here," Chris says, putting a shopping bag on the coffee table. "Diapers and wipes in here."

Peter nods his thanks and sets about changing Dahlia. It's been a while since he's done this, but apparently it's like riding a bike and once you do it, you never really forget. Stiles watches him with intelligent, sad eyes, like he knows exactly why Peter is so good at this. He probably does. 

Melissa doesn't though, and can't conceal her surprise when she says, "You're really good at that."

"My younger sister Michelle had one-year-old twins," Peter says, not making eye contact as he fastens Dahlia's diaper. "I helped take care of them while she was at work. They died in the fire."

"Oh," Melissa says softly. Chris doesn't say anything, which Peter thinks is definitely for the best. 

"Thank you for checking her," Peter says, standing. Stiles stands too, grabbing the shopping bags Chris hands him.

"You're welcome," Melissa says. "Call if you need anything, okay?"

Peter nods, then nods at Chris, and leaves, Stiles trotting in front of him to open the front door. They're quiet as Stiles drives them back to Peter's apartment. 

"What are you going to tell the pack?" Stiles asks eventually. 

"I don't know," Peter says, running a hand over his face. "Right now I'm telling them nothing. And neither are you."

"Okay," Stiles says with a shrug.

"Okay?" Peter asks doubtfully. "Nothing is ever that easy with you."

"Hey!" Stiles says, then winces when his loud voice startles Dahlia. "I mean, hey. This is different, okay? This is...it's just different."

Peter knows what he means. He doesn't know how to put it into words, but it's true.

Stiles carries the bags upstairs while Peter takes Dahlia in her car seat. She's blubbering away happily, wide blue eyes taking in everything around her. She gurgles happily when Stiles comes into view, making cross-eyed faces at her. 

Stiles follows Peter into the apartment, setting the Target bags down on the coffee table. He glances around and Peter knows exactly what he's looking at. All the sharp corners Dahlia could fall into and all the little knick knacks she could stick in her mouth. Yeah, he'll have to do some baby-proofing. 

"Oh my god," Stiles groans. Peter looks over to where Stiles is digging through the bag. He pulls out a pair of footie pajamas with a fuzzy wolf howling at the moon. "This is so fucking cute. Chris Argent bought you wolf pajamas, I can't even deal with this."

Dahlia shrieks in response, tugging her orange hat off and flinging it down. Stiles grins and walks over to ruffle her hair, cooing at how she's the prettiest little wolf in the word. She grabs his hand and pulls it to her mouth, sucking on his fingers.

"Gross," Stiles says, but he doesn't sound upset. 

Dahlia reaches for Stiles, making his eyebrows raise. He looks at Peter in question and Peter passes Dahlia to him, mindful of her head. Stiles presses a kiss to the top of her head, right over her wispy brown hair. Peter doesn't try to unpack why having Stiles touch his daughter doesn't put him on edge. 

Peter unpacks the shopping bags while Stiles bounces Dahlia in his arms. Chris not only bought diapers, wipes, and formula, but also onesies, pajama sets, sippy cups, a stuffed bear, and swaddling blankets. Peter doesn't know what to make of that.

Peter looks up when Dahlia's heartbeat starts to slow to see her dozing in Stiles' arms. Stiles is looking down at her fondly, rocking gently from side to side. Peter's chest feels tight. He doesn't know who else he'd allow in his home like, holding his sleeping child.

Stiles hums under his breath and murmurs, "You're so loved already, sweetpea. Little Lia, you dad loves you so much."

Peter makes a noise in surprise and Stiles looks over, blushing. "Sorry, I forgot you can hear me," he says.

"No it's fine, that's just what we used to call Talia," Peter says. "When we were younger, her nickname was Lia."

"Oh," Stiles says. "Sorry, I can call her something else?"

"I like Lia," Peter says. He gently transfers the sleepy Dahlia from Stiles' arms to his, smiling as she immediately snuggles closer to him, recognizing his scent.

"I should go," Stiles says quietly. "My dad's on nights. I'm going to stop by the station and see if we can find anything on the mom."

"Thank you," Peter says. 

"You're welcome," Stiles says.

Peter walks him to the door and Stiles brushes a kiss against Dahlia's forehead before leaving. He promises to call Peter tomorrow with what he finds out, then leaves. Peter locks the door behind him and takes Dahlia deeper into the apartment. He doesn't have a crib for her, so he makes a barrier of pillows around her on the bed so she doesn't roll off. 

The clothes Chris bought need to be washed before she can wear them, so Peter puts them in the wash on delicate, keeping a ear on Dahlia the whole time. She's still asleep when he comes back into the bedroom, lying down inside her pillow fortress.

For a long time, Peter just watches her sleep. He should make her formula, she needs to eat, but it's hard to tear his eyes away from her. Four hours ago, she hadn't existed to him. Stacy had been a stress reliever, a way to get away from McCall's obnoxious morality and the convention either kissing his True Alpha (tm) ass, or laughing at his naivety. 

Now...now he has this little wolf girl and he doesn't think he's ever loved anything more. He doesn't know what he's doing, he has no idea how to be a parent. He doesn't know what he has to do to get custody, or how to raise her, or how to be a good role model. He'd helped with his nieces and nephews, but this is different. At the end of the day, he always gave the pups back to their parents, but Dahlia is his daughter. If something goes wrong, it's all on him. 

Dahlia smells soft and sweet, mixed with the scents of Peter and Stiles. Peter finds that he likes it.

\---

Stiles knocks on his door at 10:00 the next morning. Peter's been up since 4:30 a.m. with a fussy Dahlia. He's tried changing her, feeding her, letting her see his wolf eyes, and nothing. She's still crying. Peter's shocked her vocal cords haven't given out yet.

"Whoa," Stiles says when Peter opens the door. Dahlia is shrieking her little head off.

"Yeah, Papa's very proud of your strong lungs," Peter says, patting her back.

"I brought coffee," Stiles says, raising two travel cups in his hands. "Uh, want me to take over for a while?"

"Please," Peter says, not caring that he sounds desperate. 

Stiles sets the coffee down and takes Dahlia from Peter, bouncing her a little. Her cries don't die down.

"I know, baby," Stiles coos. "Sometimes you just gotta let it out."

"I think she misses her mother," Peter says, taking a drink of coffee. Sweet, sweet coffee. It's a peppermint mocha, because Stiles knows his 'flouffy' coffee order (his words, not Peter's) from the little shop down the street. "I've tried changing her, feeding her, I don't know what else it could be."

"I'm not surprised," Stiles says. "It's probably scary being with people she's never seen before."

Stiles sings a little to her again, a lullaby in what Peter is pretty sure is Polish. It helps calm her down a little, but she's still crying softly. Stiles hums and dances around with her slowly, still singing. It gives Peter time to tidy up and make another bottle for her. Miraculously, she takes it, and the apartment is blessedly quiet for the first time in hours.

"Thank god," Peter says. "I need to eat something. Did you eat already?"

"Yeah, I had a granola bar," Stiles says.

"So that's a no," Peter says. "That's not breakfast."

Stiles shrugs as best he can with Dahlia in his arms. Peter makes french toast and eggs because it's easy and quick. Dahlia's finished her formula by the time he's done and is cradled against Stiles' chest as he gently pats her back. He has a towel over his shoulder and barely blinks when she spits up on it.

"How are you so good with babies?" Peter asks as he eats.

"Before the whole werewolf shit storm, I would babysit a lot. Mostly deputies' kids," Stiles says absently, cleaning up the mess around Dahlia's mouth. "But none are as cute as you, right sweetpea?"

Peter smiles and takes another bite. 

"Did you find anything out about Stacy?" Peter asks.

"Yeah, actually," Stiles says. "Well, I managed to track down some information. Dahlia's full name is Dahlia Emmeline Short. She was born at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Stacy has a problem with speeding tickets, a lot of debt, and a new boyfriend named Cal."

"If she didn't want Dahlia, she should have left her birth certificate," Peter grumbles. "It would have made figuring out custody a lot easier."

"About that..." Stiles says slowly. "We could go the legal route if you want, but it'll be slow and tedious, especially since when I looked it up, you aren't on her birth certificate." Peter feels inexplicable rage at that. Stiles winces in sympathy, but keeps talking. "Alternatively...Danny owes me a favor or three..."

"Danny, your hacker friend?"

"Yeah," Stiles says. "I'm sure he could make the process a whole lot easier."

"Let me think about it," Peter says. "But probably. I can't risk them taking her in foster care until I can be deemed eligible for custody."

Stiles nods. "Yeah, that was my thought, too," he says.

Dahlia starts to get fussy in Stiles' arms, looking around for Peter. Stiles hands her over and she instantly calms, rubbing her face against Peter's chest. Stiles coos.

"Oh my god I love her, this is ridiculous," Stiles says.

"I know," Peter murmurs, looking down at her. She's wearing a onesie with a big fox on the front of it. He has to remember to thank Chris Argent.

"So, I figured we need to get some stuff for her," Stiles says. "Want to hit the stores now before it gets too busy?"

Peter doesn't point out that Stiles keeps saying 'we'. _We_ need to get stuff. _We_ could go the legal route. 

"That works for me," Peter says. 

Stiles changes Dahlia while Peter cleans up dishes, then they're out the door. Peter drives, trusting his sleek Mercedes AMG CLS 63 more than Stiles' jeep. He drives to the more expensive mall in the center of Beacon Hills, hoping that'll help them avoid anyone from the pack. Peter bypasses Babies "R" Us for the smaller, more boutique stores. Stiles whistles at the price of a onesie and Peter does't blame him. $45 is ridiculous, but his daughter was going to have the best. 

"She's going to be spoiled rotten," Stiles says. He's holding Dahlia, watching her look around the store with wide eyes, while Peter compares two nearly identical bassinets. 

"Probably," Peter concedes. 

"Can I help you?" a saleswoman asks, walking over to them.

"We're just trying to decide between cribs," Stiles says.

"Well, they're bassinets, not cribs," she says. Her name tag says Holly and Peter knows she's going to annoy Stiles in about ten seconds. "We have a variety of options, depending on price range, there's the newest model over here."

Holly leads them around the store, showing them every overpriced item available. Stiles asks her a lot of questions about the differences between the higher and lower priced items, which makes a muscle in her jaw twitch. Even if Peter hadn't been a wolf, he'd have been able to see what she was lying to try to get a bigger scale. 

He settles on the most expensive crib in the store, along with a ton of sheets, sippy cups, and more stuff that Peter is sure he'll need. The total is alarming, but he can afford it and Dahlia's worth it. Holly, working on commission, probably loves him. They pay extra for delivery so the items will arrive later that day.

"I hope you two and your daughter will come back and visit us soon. Have a lovely day!" Holly says as they leave. Stiles blushes, but doesn't correct her.

They stop at the bookstore and pick up a dozen books on babies and parenting. Peter's sure he's going overboard and can tell Stiles thinks so too, but he doesn't care. He'll have to raid the Hale vault and see if there are any books about werewolf children that tell him more than he already knows. 

Peter blames the myriad of smells and sounds in the mall and his attention on Dahlia in his arms for why he doesn't recognize Derek's heartbeat or scent until they're rounding the corner and Stiles literally bumps into him. Stiles nearly drops the bag of books and Derek reaches out, keeping him from toppling over. Derek stares at them for a beat before his eyes narrow on Dahlia sucking on her pacifier against Peter's chest.

"That's a baby," Derek says.

"Well spotted, nephew," Peter drawls, but his heart rate has picked up. He isn't sure how he was planning on telling Derek he has a cousin, or when, but he didn't have by the bathrooms at the mall in mind.

"Why do you have a baby?" Derek asks. He turns his attention to Stiles, eyeing the bags from the bookstore and one of the baby boutiques. "Why do you have those?"

"Let's discuss this somewhere else," Peter says. 

"We were going to get lunch, come with us," Stiles says. 

"I need to change her first," Peter says. Stiles nods and hands over the designer diaper bag Peter just had to buy. "I'll be back."

Stiles and Derek wait outside of the family bathroom for Peter, close enough that he can hear them talking while he changes Dahlia's diaper.

"Did you two steal a baby?" Derek asks.

"No, and if you could not imply that we're kidnappers in a crowded mall where anyone could hear you, that'd be great," Stiles says.

"Is she...like us?" Derek asks.

Stiles pauses, like he's not sure if he should answer, but Derek will find out either way if he gets close enough to scent her properly or if her blue eyes flash gold. "Yes," Stiles says finally.

"Is she in trouble?" Derek asks quietly, almost quieter than Peter can hear.

"I don't know," Stiles says. "Maybe."

They don't say anything after that and a few minutes later, Peter walks out with a babbling Dahlia freshly changed. Derek follows them to a seafood restaurant attached to the mall, and Peter gives the hostess a generous tip to get them a booth as secluded as possible. Stiles sits next to Peter, Dahlia on his lap as he feeds her the organic apple cinnamon oatmeal baby food Peter had brought with them. Derek stares at them like they've grown a second head, but at least saves his questions for after the waiter has brought them drinks and taken their order.

"What's going?" Derek asks, good enough to keep his voice down. "Who's that?"

Peter sighs. "This is Dahlia. Remember when Scott sent us out in the preserve two nights ago to check on what tripped the wards?" Peter asks.

"Yeah, you told him it was nothing," Derek says.

"I actually said nothing dangerous," Stiles corrects, spooning pureed oatmeal into Dahlia's mouth.

"So what, someone just left her there?" Derek asks.

Peter and Stiles glance at each other. Stiles shrugs as if to say it's Peter's call. 

"Her mother did," Peter says finally. "She was left with a note on her blanket that she's a werewolf and Stacy couldn't handle it."

"Stacy...Stacy as in your fling from the symposium?" Derek asks, eyes widening. "Is she yours?"

"Yes," Peter says, brushing his hand through Dahlia's wispy hair, scenting her as if she didn't already smell strongly of him and Stiles. She makes a face at him, eyes bright and happy, and he can't help but smile down at her. "She's mine."

When Peter looks back up, Derek's face is doing something very complicated, but his expression finally lands on longing. Peter understands. She's the first Hale born since the fire.

"So, she's my cousin?" Derek says quietly. Peter nods. Derek takes a deep breath. "Will I get to know her?"

"Of course," Peter says. "She needs her family. She's already been abandoned by her mother."

The air seems to whoosh out of Derek at that, like he'd actually expected Peter to keep him out of Dahlia's life. 

"We're keeping this quiet for now," Stiles says, mopping up the food smeared around Dahlia's mouth. "Her note made it sound like hunters might want her."

Derek's face goes cold and Peter knows immediately that even though Derek hasn't even held her yet, he would do anything to keep Dahlia safe.

"Chris Argent is looking into it," Peter says. "I'm hoping to hear from him soon."

"You told Chris before me?" Derek asks, hurt.

"It wasn't on purpose," Stiles says quickly. "We took her to Melissa to get checked out, because fuck Deaton, and Chris was there."

Derek looks mollified at that at least. "By keeping it quiet, you mean not telling Scott?"

"I mean not telling anyone," Peter says. "For now, it's Melissa, Chris, Stiles, his father, me, and you."

"Er, not my dad," Stiles says.

"You said you had him look into Stacy?" Peter says.

"Well...I kinda just snuck in and used his computer," Stiles says. "So, no, he doesn't know. We might have to tell Danny though to try and get her birth certificate and all that."

"Okay," Derek says. "You know eventually everyone is going to find out, right? People are going to notice you walking around with a baby."

"I'll deal with it when the time comes," Peter says.

The waiter comes over with their food and they shelf talk of werewolf babies for a while. Stiles transfers Dahlia to Peter's lap when she starts getting fussy and she settles almost immediately, pressing her face against his torso. Derek smiles slightly, finishing his crab linguine. 

"Did you want to hold her?" Peter asks.

Derek's head snaps up, eyes wide. He nods. Peter slides out of the booth and hands Dahlia to Derek, minding her head. Derek looks gutted, face open and raw as he looks down at her. Peter's sure he remembers holding Michelle's twins, Cameron and Lacey. 

Dahlia looks up at Derek curiously, cocking her head to the side. Derek glances around the restaurant and sees no one looking in their direction. He turns slightly and flashes his blue eyes at her. Dahlia laughs, delighted, and flashes hers back. Derek smiles, brighter than Peter's seen in a while. Dahlia reaches up, tugging at Derek's beard. Peter's pretty sure Stiles is getting teary-eyed, but he busies himself with his shrimp. 

Derek seems reluctant to give Dahlia back when they leave, which Peter completely understands, and promises he'll be over soon. Peter has the feeling he's going to buy out the toy section of Babies "R" Us. 

"We should call Danny," Peter says when they're strapping Dahlia into the car seat. 

"Yeah?" Stiles asks.

"I can't risk her being taken, even temporarily. If he's trustworthy."

"He is. And I helped him out in a tight spot, so he'll be more than happy to not owe me anymore," Stiles says.

"Thank you," Peter says seriously. "I owe you for this."

"You really don't," Stiles says, looking down at Dahlia, who's blinking heavily up at them. "Anything for her."

Peter wants to hug Stiles, wants to tug him close and wrap his scent around him. He holds back, settles for briefly cupping the side of Stiles' neck before walking around the car to get in. He pretends he doesn't hear the way Stiles' heartbeat speeds up. 

Stiles calls Danny from the car and gives him a very vague rundown of what they need. Danny sighs but when Stiles reminds him that he owes him, he agrees. Stiles makes plans to meet up with him later to give him more details and hangs up.

"I have to ask," Peter says. "What exactly did you help him with?"

"Oh, that," Stiles says with a laugh. "He and his boyfriend had a bit of public drunken argument. He's on probation for hacking into government systems when he was a teenager and being arrested would have been really bad. I may have convinced my dad to look the other way."

Peter shakes his head with a smile.

The delivery people show up a couple hours after Peter and Stiles get back to his apartment. The loud movement wakes Dahlia from her nap, which she is less than thrilled about, so Stiles is walking around, bouncing her and cooing while Peter directs the delivery people. They offer to set up the crib, but Peter denies, wanting the smell of strangers out of his home as soon as possible. Dahlia doesn't stop crying until twenty minutes after they leave, finally falling back asleep. Peter puts her in her pillow fortress again while he and Stiles set up the crib. 

Peter's apartment is a two-bedroom, something he's extremely grateful for. The second bedroom serves as an office/library. It takes some careful rearranging but the crib and most of the baby supplies fit. The changing table is pressed right against Peter's bookcase with his rare tomes and it makes Peter sigh. He'll have to rearrange. Or buy a bigger place. He should probably look into a house now that he thinks about it. A werewolf pup needs a yard. He and his family were raised in a big house with access to the woods. Peter doesn't know if he wants a big family, didn't even really consider having a kid until now, but he wants her to have everything he loved about growing up. 

"I should look at a house," Peter says.

Stiles looks up from where he's arranging the stuffed animals (there are three wolves, a fox, a rabbit, and a skunk. Peter may have gone overboard.). 

"Yeah?" he says. He looks around the nursery/office. "I mean, yeah it makes sense. Send me what you're looking for and I'll see what I can find."

"I know how to look for a house, Stiles," Peter says.

"Well yeah, but you kind of have your hands full with an infant at the moment, so you probably needs all hands on deck," Stiles says.

Peter can't help the affection coursing through him. He's been tamping it down all day, trying to ignore it, but the pack bond between them is strong and pulsing brightly. Peter has tenuous threads that serve as bonds with the rest of the pack. Weak and flimsy things. His with Derek is stronger, built by family and history, but Stiles...Peter's pack bond with Stiles is strong, as strong as the bonds he'd had with his pack before the fire. There's affection and respect and Peter wants to ignore it because caring is dangerous, but he can't help it. Humans feel it weaker than wolves do, but they still feel it. Stiles looks at him softly and Peter's pretty sure he knows he's Peter's pack more so than anyone else. He has been for a long time.

Stiles is helping Peter care for his pup, the daughter he hadn't known he has and would already die for. Stiles is sacrificing for them, calling in favors, helping however he can. Dahlia settles down happily in his arms while she looks suspiciously at most people. Dahlia smells of contentment, the soft smell babies have, Peter, and Stiles. Stiles is insinuating himself in their lives, in Dahlia's life, and Peter wants him here. 

He reaches out, cupping Stiles' cheek with a large hand. Stiles' breath hitches, eyes widening, but he doesn't pull away. Peter leans in slowly, giving him plenty of time to pull away. Stiles licks his lips and closes the rest of the distance between them.

Stiles' lips are just as soft as Peter thought they'd be. The kiss is sweet and slow, chaste but no less passionate. Stiles makes a needy noise in the back of his throat as Peter pulls back, resting his forehead against his.

"Wow," Stiles says quietly. 

"Mmhmm," Peter hums. 

He leans in, kissing Stiles again, harder this time. He licks into his mouth and Stiles opens for him easily, hungrily kissing him back. His hands are tight in Peter's shirt, twisting as he moves closer, pressing his body against Peter's. Peter growls into the kiss, making Stiles' scent burst with arousal and oh, that's interesting.

Then Peter's phone starts to ring and Stiles groans. Peter pulls back with a sigh. He presses one last kiss to Stiles' lips before pulling the phone from his pocket. It's Chris Argent. Peter puts it on speaker when he answers.

"Christopher," he says. 

_"Peter,"_ Chris says. _"I heard back from my contacts in the area. There was an upstart group of rogue hunters that broke away from the code. They were trying to scare werewolf families out of town if they couldn't find a reason to kill them. One of them visited Stacy Short last week. The local hunting family has already taken care of them."_

"Actually taken care of them or just gave them a stern talking to?" Stiles asks.

Chris doesn't seem surprised to hear him on the call. _"The two in charge were killed. The kid working under them is in custody. I don't know what they're planning to do with him."_

"Good," Peter says.

"Thanks, Chris," Stiles says. 

_"You're welcome. How is she doing?"_

"She loves the wolf pajamas you bought, oh my god, you fucking softie," Stiles says.

_"I'm hanging up now."_

Stile snorts as the line cuts off. Peter slips the phone back into his pocket and looks back at Stiles, who's looking a little unsure of himself and Peter just can't have that. 

"What's going through that head of yours, sweetheart?"

Stiles flushes at the pet name. "Nothing, I should probably go. I have to meet up with Danny soon," he says.

"Stiles," Peter murmurs. "It doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to."

"Do _you_ want it to?" Stiles asks.

"I do," Peter says, caressing his thumb over Stiles' cheekbone. 

"I do, too," Stiles says.

"Then we'll figure it out," Peter says. "Go ahead, go see Danny."

"Okay," Stiles says, grinning. He leans forward and kisses Peter again, smiling against his lips. "I don't want to wake her up, kiss Dahlia for me."

Peter walks him out and listens to his heartbeat until it's out of hearing range. He sighs, checking in on his sleeping daughter. He doesn't know what he's doing with any of this. He doesn't know what kind of parent he'll be or what he can even offer Stiles when his whole world is asleep in the crib in front of him. He knows that he wants to try, though.

\---

It takes a few days, but eventually Stiles shows up at Peter's place with a birth certificate and social security card for a Dahlia Emmeline Hale, along with medical records and legal documentation 'proving' that Stacy Short had signed away all parental rights shortly after birth. Peter's eyebrows rise as he looks through the folder Stiles hands him. It's extremely detailed work and Peter has no idea how Stiles managed to get his hands on everything, but he's not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Come in, we're watching Property Brothers," Peter says.

"Of course you are," Stiles says, slipping in the door. He presses a kiss to Peter's lips as he passes because yeah, that's something they do now. "Is your favorite the hot one?"

"They're twins, Stiles," Peter says, leading Stiles to the living room where Derek is on the couch, Dahlia sitting in his lap. "They look the same."

"Oh absolutely not," Stiles says. "Jonathon is significantly hotter. Everyone knows this."

Peter shakes his head as Stiles leans down, pressing a kiss to Dahlia's forehead. Dahlia gurgles happily, reaching for him. Derek hands her over a bit reluctantly, as if he hasn't been here with her all day. 

"Aw, uncle Derek is salty, isn't he?" Stiles coos to Dahlia, rubbing his nose against hers. Derek rolls his eyes. "Yes he is."

Stiles, Derek, and Dahlia watch Property Brothers for a while, making comments about how horrible the couple is (or gnawing on Stiles' fingers and giggling, in Dahlia's case) while Peter goes through the documents Stiles brought him. He reached out to Satomi and she has a pediatrician in her pack that has experience with werewolf children, so Peter should probably take Dahlia to see her soon. 

The episode is almost over where all of their phones buzz with an incoming text. Peter sighs when he reads it. It's Scott calling a pack meeting. As much as Peter doesn't want to go, it's important to keep in the pack's good graces, especially now that he has Dahlia to keep safe.

Reluctantly, Stiles and Derek pack up Dahlia's diaper bag while Peter gets her dressed in her jacket and little booties. The pack is going to find out about her anyway, it might as happen when Peter has Stiles and Derek in his corner. 

Derek takes his car to the loft while Stiles rides with Peter. Dahlia is fussy in the backseat though Peter isn't sure why. She's changed and fed, has had plenty of time with pack cuddles. He still thinks it's very likely that she's missing Stacy and his heart pangs knowing that she's been abandoned by the only parent she'd known. He's not a great person though and he's selfishly glad to have her in his life.

"We don't have to do this, you know," Stiles says when they park outside of the loft. Derek's car is already there. "We could just stay home."

"I know," Peter says. "They're going to find out sooner or later though."

Stiles shrugs in agreement and they get out of the car, gathering Dahlia and her bag. She settles down a bit once she's being held, making Peter roll his eyes. She's really going to be the most spoiled girl ever. 

The pack is gathered in the living area, lounging on the rug or on the couches and chairs. They're chatting amiably, no one really paying attention to Stiles and Peter coming in. Kira glances up to say hello and her eyes widen when they land on Peter holding Dahlia. Scott notices her attention drift from their conversation and frowns, following her eyes to see Peter and Stiles. His jaw drops.

"Is that a baby?" Scott asks.

All conversation stops and everyone looks over at Peter and Stiles. Peter tries not to tense under their stares. He's not intimidated by a pack of teenagers, but he is inexplicably nervous about this. 

"She's so cute," Erica coos and Peter's pretty sure he's never heard Erica coo about anything. Boyd nods in agreement, so do Kira and Isaac. Allison and Lydia look confused.

"Why exactly do you have a baby?" Lydia asks.

"It's a long story," Stiles says. "But it boils down to it turns out that Peter has a daughter. Her name is Dahlia, she's a werewolf, and she's the best thing in the entire universe."

"It's true," Peter says when they look to him for confirmation. "Her mother abandoned her so she's with me now."

"And you didn't think to tell us before now?" Scott asks. "I'm the alpha, I should know about these things."

"She isn't a threat or an invading supernatural force, there was no need for you to be told until it was necessary," Peter says.

"Did you already buy everything she needs?" Lydia asks. "There's a great store over in Beacon Valley that has wonderful clothes and furniture."

Peter's a bit surprised that her reaction isn't negative, especially given their history, but she doesn't seem anything but curious.

"Well he obviously can't keep her," Scott says. "Who in their right mind would let Peter near a kid?"

Stiles tenses. Peter growls, eyes flashing blue and surprisingly, he's not the only one. Derek's eyes flare and his teeth lengthen, startling nearly everyone. Dahlia, no doubt sensing the tension, starts squirming in Peter's arms, letting out little whimpers that are soon to be cries. Peter forces himself to relax and bounces her gently against his chest, murmuring soft words while glaring at Scott.

"Don't be an idiot, Scott," Lydia says. "Peter's many things, but dangerous to his family isn't one of them."

"Am I the only one that remembers Laura?" Scott asks.

"He was out of his mind," Derek says quietly, and that shocks everyone, Peter included. He'd told Derek this, of course, but he hadn't known he'd really believed it. "Peter would never intentionally do anything to hurt his family, especially his child."

Scott, sensing that's a subject he isn't going to win, rounds on Stiles instead. "You knew about this?"

"Yeah," Stiles says with a shrug.

"And you didn't tell me?"

"It's not your business, Scott," Stiles says.

They devolve into bickering, Derek glaring and interjecting once in a while. Kira stands tentatively, walking around where the three of them are talking. She gives Peter room, like she doesn't want him to think she's crowding him, which Peter appreciates.

"Can I come closer?" she asks.

Peter nods. Of all the people here, Kira definitely doesn't worry him. With her fox under control, she doesn't have a malicious bone in her body. Kira grins and steps up to his side, peering into Dahlia's face. Dahlia's still whimpering, not quite soothed with the snapping of Scott, Stiles, and Derek. She looks at Kira with interest though, reaching out and grabbing a handful of her hair when Kira leans closer. Kira laughs, gently removing Dahlia's fingers. Dahlia giggles, grabbing at Kira's fingers. 

"She's so cute," Kira says. "Those are definitely your eyes."

"She has his attitude too," Stiles says, abandoning Scott to argue with Derek. "Total diva."

Peter roll his eyes and Kira laughs.

"I totally understand if not, but could I hold her?" she asks.

Peter nods, gently handing her over, showing Kira how to hold her head. Dahlia immediately takes fistfuls of Kira's hair, yanking on it. Kira takes it gracefully, crossing her eyes and making funny faces at Dahlia. Dahlia's just plain delighted, clapping her hands together. Peter looks up to see Scott and Derek still glaring at each other. Scott looks over at Kira holding the baby and his face softens. Peter tries not to roll his eyes. Stiles doesn't bother to try.

"Anyway," Stiles says. "Now that that's settled, Peter has a baby and she's here to stay, pack meeting time."

Scott still looks unsure, but starts the meeting, checking in with everyone about any supernatural threats they might have encountered and setting up more patrolling routes. Kira hands Dahlia back when she reaches for Peter. Most of the pack is only vaguely paying attention to Scott, eyes often coming back to the baby in Peter's lap. Scott finally gives up on trying to keep everyone's attention and lets them fawn over Dahlia. The pack gathers around, taking turns holding her (except for Scott, which is good because Peter would have probably ripped his arms off if he tried) and asking about werewolf babies. None of them question his right to have her.

It feels like acceptance and Peter knows that even if he will never truly be a member of the pack, his daughter will still be loved.

\---

Dahlia does not like Scott. Peter doesn't know if she picks up on the tension between him and Scott, but she cries whenever he comes too close. Stiles thinks it's hysterical, especially since after Peter, Stiles is definitely her favorite, which is something Derek is actively trying to change. Cora Skypes often enough that Dahlia recognizes her, reaching for the screen as if she could touch her. Cora's planning to visit soon and Peter can't wait for her to actually see her in person.

Chris is, shockingly, one of Dahlia's biggest fans. Whenever he sees her, which is a lot more than Peter was assuming would happen considering he barely sees the man himself, he has something for her that he'll always claim he just saw at a store and thought might be nice. New blankets, toys, pacifiers. He even brings a talisman that helps hide scent and says, "Just in case."

"I don't know what I'm doing," Peter confesses to Stiles one night. They're lying in Peter's bed, Dahlia just having gone to sleep. Stiles is lying on Peter's bare chest, Peter's arm wrapped around him. "I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to make sure she's raised right, or happy. I'm used to being an uncle, and not a very good one if we're being completely honest."

"You've already made sure she's loved, and I think that's the biggest part of it right there," Stiles says. He props himself up on his elbow so he can see Peter better. "You'll protect her ferociously and without mercy, like you do with everything you care about. And if Beacon Hills starts showing signs of going back to being a mini hell mouth, we'll scoop her up and get the hell out of here."

"We?" Peter asks, heart clenching at the word.

"Well yeah," Stiles says. "Er, if that's okay?"

"That's okay," Peter says, kissing him softly. 

"Good," Stiles says. 

Stiles' face is a little red, like he hadn't meant to say 'we'. Peter's more than okay with it. He doesn't know if it's a werewolf thing or a him thing, but when Peter gets attached, which is rare, he gets attached fast. His connections are few and far between, but the ones he has are strong. He loves Dahlia fiercely, he cares deeply for Cora and Derek, even though he isn't the greatest at showing it, and Stiles...He doesn't love Stiles yet, but he can tell that he will soon.

"We should sleep," Peter says, rubbing his thumb over Stiles' cheekbone. "We have to be up early to take her to Satomi's pediatrician tomorrow."

Stiles turns his head and presses a kiss to Peter's palm.

"Okay," he says. 

Stiles settles back down against Peter's chest and Peter rubs his cheek over the top of his head, making sure their scents are as entwined as possible (as if they could be anything else by now). 

Maybe, just maybe, he won't fuck this whole fatherhood thing up too much.

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on [ tumblr ](http://www.hotpinklizard.tumblr.com).


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